Celebrated Gee’s Bend Quilts And Quiltmakers to Visit Birmingham on March 29

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

For Victoria Harris Marsh, quilting was never a craft when she grew up in Gee’s Bend (also known as Boykin), Alabama. It was a way of life.

“We always had to lend a helping hand,” she said. “We couldn’t just sit idly by. If it wasn’t anything but threading the needle, quilting was a family affair. But threading the needle wasn’t enough for me because in the end I got to see what one’s mind could create, so I had to learn to quilt.”

Marsh, 42, said she tried her hand at making a quilt in her early teens, “and I haven’t stopped since,” said the fourth-generation quilter from a rich heritage of strength, courage, determination, and love.

“[I was] raised in a community of hope, surrounded by world-renowned quilters,” said Marsh, speaking about her mother and aunts, as well as her great-grandmother, Lottie Mooney, whose quilt design was featured on the “Quilts of Gee’s Bend” commemorative stamp, and her great-aunt, Polly Bennett, whose quilts are displayed in museums around the world.

Some of the quilters and quilts will be in Birmingham on Saturday, March 29, from 4 p.m. to7 p.m., when the Airing of the Quilts Festival Awareness Tour, a three-city event series designed to celebrate the artistry and history of the Gee’s Bend Quilters, stops at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (520 16th St. N., Birmingham, AL 35203). Click here to register for the event.

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A Vibrant Tradition

The women of Gee’s Bend, a small, remote Black community in Alabama, have created hundreds of quilt masterpieces dating from the early 20th century to the present. Their masterworks are products of both tradition and innovation, with older women teaching younger women the styles and standards of beauty. Each quilt is both a signature of the individual and a banner of their community. The artistry of the Quilters of Gee’s Bend has been acclaimed as one of the world’s most vibrant contemporary textile traditions.

Emma Mooney Pettway, 65, was born and raised in Gee’s Bend, and first began crafting quilts at about 12 years old.

“My creative process varies because sometimes when I get ready to start quilting, I have no clue of how I’m going to design my quilts, but the moment I pick up my pieces and start coordinating the colors, I quickly come up with a unique design,” she said.

At other times, she has exact patterns in mind, Pettway added.

“It takes me about two weeks to make a quilt, depending on size. Most of my patterns are inspired by the original patterns, such as a housetop, nine patch … that I learned from my mother, Tanzy Mooney, and my grandmothers, Lottie Mooney and Mary Maxie Major.”

Marsh said it takes her about 14 days for her to make a quilt, “sometimes longer if I feel it needs a little more, a little more length, a little more width, or a little more love.”

“I go with the flow, how I’m feeling, interpreting what I hear and/or see. I just sit and let my heart and mind speak through my hands,” she added.

Generational Artistry

Polly Mooney Middleton, 63, was born and raised in Gee’s Bend, and she began quilting by helping her mother and grandmother. “I started quilting on my own at the age of 25,” she said.

Middleton said it usually takes her between eight and 10 days to make a quilt and added, “[I] don’t have a creative process, no set pattern design. I quilt how I feel and what my mind sees, and life and emotions decide the outcome.”

Cathy Mooney, born and raised in Gee’s Bend, would help her mother cut material, beat out the cotton, thread needles, and do anything else she could help with.

“I began to sew around the age of 15 and began piecing my quilts together,” she said. “I always have an idea of what I want it to look like, but as I put it together the majority of the time it comes out to be totally different. I let my hands put together what my mind sees.”

“It takes me about two weeks to make a quilt and depends on the size and design of the quilt,” she continued. “The material, the color, and how I’m feeling at the time [serve as] inspiration in my quilting.”

Cathy Mooney, Polly Mooney Middleton, and Emma Mooney Pettway are all sisters.

For generations, the women of Gee’s Bend have been creating patchwork quilts by piecing together scraps of fabric and clothing in abstract designs that had never been expressed on quilts. Their patterns and piecing styles were passed down over generations, surviving slavery and the Jim Crow era, a period marked by state and local laws that legalized racial segregation in the United States from the end of the Civil War to 1968. Enlivened by a visual imagination that extends the expressive boundaries of the quilt genre, these creations have expanded the realm of Black visual culture and opened a door to new understanding of American art and history.

Renowned Worldwide

There’s a reason the work is renowned worldwide, said the quilters.

“What makes Gee’s Bend quilts unique is the history behind them,” said Pettway. “There has been a shift from quilting being an absolute necessity for keeping us warm to quilting being a work of art that shows pure gratification and could be used as decoration. People love them worldwide because of this as well as the love sewn into every one of them.”

The Gee’s Bend quilts are unique and admired globally because “people can feel the love and affection vibrating from every stitch and pattern, giving you a hug that you didn’t know you needed.” Marsh said. “The world longs for this unconditional love, and the quilts of Gee’s Bend provide that and more. … [They are] filled with stories of our ancestors, our history, and our heritage, giving everyone a direct connection to times past, present, and future.”

Magic City Moment

What can visitors expect when the tour comes to the Magic City on March 28?

Middleton said visitors will see “some of our beautiful quilts that we have on hand, as well as demonstrations on the process we use to put quilts together.”

Marsh said, “Visitors will be able to learn more about the history of Gee’s Bend and have an opportunity to meet and talk with some of the quilters. They’ll see firsthand the artwork that captivates the heart and mind and connects the soul. To the world, it’s art. To us, it was a necessity that provided comfort and warmth that connected families and a community—all in love.”

The Airing of the Quilts Festival Awareness Tour, a three-city event series designed to celebrate the artistry and history of the Gee’s Bend Quilters, visits the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (520 16th St. N., Birmingham, AL 35203) on Saturday, March 28, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. To register for the Birmingham tour stop, click here.

What is the Gee’s Bend Awareness Tour?

The Awareness Tour had a previous stop in Montgomery, and will travel next weekend to Mobile while building momentum for the Airing of the Quilts Festival in Gee’s Bend on Saturday, October 4.

The Tour offers attendees an opportunity to experience an extraordinary collection of handmade quilts, witness live quilting demonstrations, and gain a deeper connection to the rich cultural traditions of quilting in Gee’s Bend.

“The quilts of Gee’s Bend represent resilience, creativity, and a deep cultural legacy passed down through generations,” said Kim Kelly, Executive Director of the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy. “Through this tour, we hope to honor the artistry of these remarkable quilters while inspiring more people to experience the full festival in October.”

The Airing of the Quilts Festival is a signature event celebrating the Gee’s Bend’ world-renowned quilt-making tradition. It draws visitors from around the world and across the country to experience quilt displays, artist showcases, and cultural programming. The festival is organized by Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy, Souls Grown Deep, and Sew Gee’s Bend Heritage Builders, each 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations dedicated to preserving artistic and historical contributions of an amazing community.

Tour Schedule:

Birmingham, Alabama – Saturday, March 29, 2025

Location: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 520 16th St N, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203

Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Mobile, Alabama – Saturday, April 26, 2025

Location: Historical Avenue Cultural Center, 564 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Ave Mobile, Alabama, 36603

Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

About Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy

The Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy is dedicated to preserving the cultural and economic legacy and its renowned quilting traditions. Through educational programs, exhibitions, and economic initiatives, the organization ensures that the stories and artistry of Gee’s Bend to continue to inspire future generations. To learn more about the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy, visit www.fqblegacy.org.

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